Water saving tips for lawn care

Even though we have been very blessed over the last few month with rain, we should all be good stewards of our most precious natural resource - WATER! Use these water saving tips for lawn care during extended periods of heat and drought.

Quick tips

- Make sure your irrigation system is in good working order. Find any leaks and broken heads.

- Turn off automatic sprinkler settings. Irrigate based on plant stress or on-line tools.

- Don’t water lawns during heat of the day; water in early morning.

- Watch your landscape watering -- don’t water sidewalks, driveways or streets, or let water run down the street.

- Use low volume drip or trickle irrigation for garden and bedding plants.

- Mulch shrubs and other plants to keep moisture in the soil longer. This also controls weeds that compete with garden plants for water. Fewer but heavier lawn watering encourages deeper roots which withstand dry weather better. A deeply watered lawn should be able to go 5 to 8 days between waterings.

- To irrigate trees and large shrubs in the lawn, water at their driplines—that is where the feeding root system of a tree or shrub is.

- Raise mower height slightly in hot, dry weather. Mow frequently to avoid cutting more than one third of the leaf blade on any cutting.

- Rainwater harvesting systems can provide supplemental water for landscapes and pets.

- Don’t use the hose to clean off sidewalks or driveways; sweep them clean.

- Don’t put debris, yard clippings or leaves down storm drains.

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